Pulaski midfielder Alexis Grunwald (4) and Oregon forward Makena Fanning (11) collide as they battle for the ball in the first half in Friday's WIAA Div. 2 semifinal game during the state soccer tournament at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee. Evan Siegle/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Pulaski's Skyler Prentice (1) hugs Brooke Schauer (2) as they walk off the field with their teammate Haley Vandenhouten (3) after Friday's WIAA Div. 2 semifinal game during the state soccer tournament at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee. Pulaski was defeated by Oregon. Evan Siegle/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE - Jen Brien has a way of coming up big in the most important soccer matches of the year.

The Pulaski girls were the latest to find that out in a 2-0 loss to Oregon in a WIAA Division 2 state semifinal at Uihlein Soccer Park on Friday afternoon.

Brien scored the only goal the Panthers would need in the 66th minute, making a few nifty moves in front of Pulaski’s goal and blasting a shot into the net.

It was her fifth goal in three matches at state for the defending D2 champions, which included two each last season in a semifinal against Whitefish Bay and the title match against Green Bay Southwest.

Oregon put this one away on a goal from senior forward Makena Fanning off an assist from Brien in the 78th minute.

The Panthers (17-3-4) don’t have quite the firepower of last season, but they still returned eight starters from their title team and had the respect of Pulaski.

“We went in with the mindset that we wanted to keep it close, we wanted to be in it at the end,” Pulaski coach Clete Gerhartz said. “We had our chances early, and again, it’s a good team. We knew going in our chances were going to be limited. We were going to have to capitalize on the few chances we had tonight and we didn’t do it. But to their credit, they are a good team.”

The Red Raiders (17-5-1) were making their first state appearance since 2004, and although they got outshot 17-7, they found a way to hang in the match for a good portion of the afternoon before Brien finally got things going for the Panthers.

Pulaski did what it could to try to stay in it, which included frequent substitutions in order to help keep players fresh and offset the absence of three starters who weren’t available.

But the Red Raiders couldn’t find a way to get any of their three shots on goal past Oregon junior keeper Abby Breitbach, who has yet to allow a goal in three state matches spanning 270 minutes.

“We started off playing pretty defensively, and I think that might have been our downfall,” senior forward Haley Vandenhouten said. “I think we came into this game expecting that they were going to be really good, because they were the defending champions.

“We didn’t play our normal game. I think that really affected us.”

Pulaski was hoping to join Green Bay Notre Dame, Green Bay Southwest and De Pere as the only area girls soccer teams to play in a title match since the state tournament started in 1983.

It’s now about trying to get back here next season.

The Red Raiders have to replace their best player in Vandenhouten, who was a first-team pick in the Fox River Classic Conference and led the team in both goals and assists, but they have 14 players on the roster expected to return.

“We raised the bar,” Gerhartz said. “We were close the last couple years and we didn’t get here. There is one team at the end of the weekend that goes home the winner. Everybody else loses. Now, we expect to be here every year. If we are going to lose the last game of the year, I’m really, really happy it’s here and not at home.

“They did everything I asked all year long. We just came up short against a really good Oregon team.”

Vandenhouten, who is credited with helping change the culture of the program during her four years at Pulaski, ends her time with that long-awaited trip to state.

It didn’t end with a gold ball or even a silver one, but it was a huge step forward.

“I think this is the best possible way I could end this,” Vandenhouten said, fighting back tears. “It’s been a journey from freshman year.”